The greatest quarterback in NFL history from the (surgically-repaired) neck up is not retiring.
Life is just beginning at age 40 for Peyton Williams Manning.
He will continue to be a philanthropist who donates millions of dollars annually to charities in Colorado, Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana. He will continue to visit sick kids in hospitals and victims of tragedies (as he did after the Aurora theater shootings). He will continue to surprise married couples, wounded soldiers and dying grandmothers with his phone calls and best wishes.
He will continue to represent Nationwide (“Chicken parm you taste so good”), Gatorade and DirectTV, run 30 Papa John’s franchises and he will continue to be Omaha, Nebraska’s No. 1 ambassador. He will continue to do network appearances such as “Saturday Night Live”, give speeches in Las Vegas and show up for talks at high schools and colleges. He will continue to help Tennessee recruit football players and he’ll have more time to be on the sideline at the Volunteers’ games.
He will continue to be a caring father of his twins, Marshall and Mosley, a loving husband to Ashley, a special brother to Eli and Cooper, and the proud son of Archie and Olivia. He will continue to do good deeds and good things.
Peyton can be a network commentator during football season or president of a private company if he so chooses.
He can be the vice president of football operations/general manager of the Cleveland Browns (owned by a close friend) or the co-owner/CEO/GM of the Tennessee Titans. He can serve as an adviser to the Broncos and general manager John Elway and, in training camp, continue to mentor Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and the quarterback the franchise drafts next month.
He can relax at his Cherry Hills Village mansion for a couple of years, throw the football around in the yard with his children, drive them to school, eat at the family’s favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant where his No. 18 jersey hangs behind the bar (and where he can order chicken parmesan), play golf at Cherry Hills and Castle Pines and, at night, watch tapes of defenses throughout the league.
He can write another book (which he says he won’t do) about the First Family of Football or the history of quarterbacks (because he genuinely is a college and pro football historian) or leadership in life. He can star in a movie, become a national advocate for critical issues in society or become a gentleman farmer.
He can become the governor of Tennessee.
He can be the president of the United States.
The next 40 years, Peyton Manning will be as successful as he was the first 40 years.
At Tennessee, Peyton compiled a 3.1-point grade average and graduated in three years with a degree in speech communications.
But he never prepared fully for a speech that he will give on Monday at Dove Valley. Peyton will announce publicly he is retiring from the game he loves to play and hates to leave.
It is time.
As first reported by The Post on Feb. 27, Manning would retire from the Broncos by the end of the week. He struggled with the decision, considered his options, had “buyer’s remorse”, talked at length with his immediate family and confidantes, Elway and Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, fulfilled two obligations for speaking engagements, joked about his future (but revealed nothing) and flew back and forth across the country.
Peyton spent all the while becoming Rodin’s “The Thinker”.
Saturday, the family ordered delivery of chicken noodle soup, barbecue chicken salad, grilled cheese and turkey rueben sandwiches.
Saturday evening Peyton called Elway and Kubiak to thank them for their patience and to tell them he was retiring. Both understood. They, too, had been there, feeling the pangs, the hesitancies, the sadness.
For Manning, the career had been 18 seasons, a record five NFL MVPs and a comeback player of the year award, 14 Pro Bowl selections, a record 200 victories overall, the pick as Sport Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the quarterback who produced the most prolific passing season in the league, a Super Bowl MVP and a Super Bowl victory in his final game.
Manning had the rare achievement of beating all 32 teams. And it is well to remember that in the Peyton Manning-Tom Brady comparison, Peyton had a 3-2 record against Brady in the postseason.
When Peyton was playing quarterback in the sixth grade in New Orleans, he asked the coach if he could call a play. The play was a double reverse-flea flicker pass — which produced a touchdown. It was the start.
Manning was the greatest game-changer at quarterback the game has known. He is one of the best three quarterback above and below the neck there ever was, or maybe ever will be. He definitely was the most cerebral quarterback, and did more to define the position than anyone else.
He also is a life-changer.
And Peyton’s not retired. He never will.
